The awesome Sayum has tagged me to participate in this tag blog started by the equally awesome Arick.

Rules:

You can only list games that are being released during the year of 2014.

The number of games you list does not matter, but it must be at least 5.

Remakes/rereleases don't count. They must be completely new games (i.e. no HD collections and Wii U/3DS Virtual Console games allowed).

You can tag no more than 3 people at once

Some background info...

I hope to have a PS4 next Fall, but that's no guarantee. However, that doesn't mean I won't buy any PS4 games; in fact, I plan on buying #2's Collector's Edition upon release. I do own a Wii U, and I'm incredibly happy with that decision when I look at the exclusives coming next year. Half of my list is on Wii U, whether you're including Honorable Mentions or not, and 5 of the 7 are exclusive.

Honorable Mentions

Two Brothers

This game is technically out, but only on PC. The game has gotten quite a lot of praise, living up to the hype created by it's trailers. Console versions come out in 2014, and as of this month, developer Ackk Studios is aiming for the Wii U version to be available "early next year".

Driveclub

Supposed to be here on launch day, along with a slimmed down PS Plus version, the game was delayed to 2014. GRID tried to bridge the gap between two types of racing games - simulation and arcade. I liked that, but it didn't work for every game mode GRID had. From what I've seen, Driveclub is trying to meet halfway between simulation and GRID. I think that kind of simulation racer with an arcade edge could be really fun.

FAST Racing League Neo

I played the demo for the original FAST Racing League and liked it, but haven't took the time and money to buy the full game. Shin'en is one of the few developers to create games on Nintendo systems that compete with 1st Party titles in terms of graphical fidelity. Now, while I never put graphics as the most important quality of a video game, I can't help but salivate until a trailer is released. I mean, the in-game image on the teaser site has me drooling already *_*

Mirror's Edge 2

I adored the original, but felt the firefights could've been executed better. It's E3 debut said the game is "Coming...when it's ready", and I'd be surprised if it's not "ready" by the end of 2014.

10. Kirby: Triple Deluxe

The 3DS dominated 2013, and there's no way it'll have as good a showing next year. However, the system won't be giving the Vita any chance at life either; games like Triple Deluxe will make sure of that. Not much has been released outside this trailer, showing some gameplay elements that appear to combine Kirby 64 (enemies attacking from the foreground background) and DKCR (switching between multiple planes).

9. X

This spiritual successor to Xenoblade, a game I have played for a shameful 20 minutes, looks to get everything it can out of the Wii U, much like Xenoblade did with the Wii.

8. Shantae and The Pirate's Curse

Another game that was supposed to come out this year, but with just over a month left, I don't see that happening. My wallet is the only thing happy about that, since this game looks so Metroidvania...mmm...

7. Professor Layton and The Azran Legacy

The game with the longest title on my list is the game that concludes the excellent tales of the puzzle-solving Hershel Layton. I'm sad, but also see the benefit in this - Miracle Mask is just about the best a Prof. Layton game can get; would rather see the series go out at it's best than worst. But for some reason, Americans have to wait until 2014 to experience Hershel's final adventure -_-'

6. Mario Kart 8

I'll say it: Mario Kart 8 is the best-looking game on this list. Yeah, #2 and #3 may have it beat in terms of sheer detail, but MK8 looks so smooth and polished. Not to mention, the F-Zero inspired design along with the best additions from MK7 (customization, underwater/flying sections) could make this the best Mario Kart yet. Could...

5. Bayonetta 2

I love love love love love Bayonetta. The gameplay is fast, fun, and rewards skilled players. The lore is expansive and interesting. The characters are lovable. What does Bayo2 add? The increased scale makes it feel "like you're fighting the last boss from the very beginning".

Sold.

4. Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS

It's Smash Bros., in true HD, with game speed in between Melee (too fast) and Brawl (a little slow)...

3. Transistor

This game blends real-time with turn-based gameplay, takes place in a gorgeous sci-fi setting and is from the people who made Bastion...I think that Jontron clip could be applied here as well ;P

2. InFamous: Second Son

MMM...oh yeah, this game LOOKS GOOD. Seriously, just a few hours with the original and SS shot to #2 on my list. I mean, I was excited before, but after experiencing how fun Sucker Punch's series is...I can't wait to play it's debut on PS4

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1. Assassin's Creed V

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1. DK Country: Tropical Freeze

You may be thinking, "What? This over *insert game everyone's excited for*?!". Yep. DKCR is one of my favorite games and I'm glad Retro took the time to make DKC5 before returning to the Metroid series or whatever they're going to do after TF releases. David Wise is back, the environmental interactivity introduced in DKCR is expanded and there's a larger variety of scenery this time (aka SNOW BITCHES). There's only 1 thing I'm worried about, look closely at that trailer...you see it? That breath gauge when underwater? Yeah, that's never been in a DKC game and is completely unnecessary (the recent Rayman games proved you can have challenging water levels without this).

As I made quite clear in my Conference Reviews, I wasn't impressed by much. Didn't hurt that the majority of games shown, especially in M$'s conference, were shooters of the modern/near future and of a gritty, realistic tone. These are a type of game that I have absolutely no interest in. What is my genre of choice? Racing. And while some of you got tired of seeing "so many" of them, it was a necessary change as the genre had been getting narrower and narrower... No thanks to the numerous, formerly great, racing developers shutting down (Bizzare, Blackrock, Studio Liverpool, etc.).

It was astonishing difficult to narrow it down to 6. When people came out of E3 saying it was "the best one in years" or "we may never have another E3 as good as this one", I shrugged those sentiments off...at first. Now, I'm starting to agree, regardless if you're a Nintendo, Playstation, Xbox, or Hell, even an EA fan, this E3 was one for the ages...

Honorable Mentions

Honestly, around 30 or 40 games deserve mentioning, just an indicator of the sheer number of great-looking games this year. Of the shooters on display; Titanfall, Sunset Overdrive, Destiny and The Order: 1886 all look to shake up the genre. As for platformers Knack, Tearaway (only upcoming Vita game that I have any interest in), Puppeteer, Sonic: Lost World (both versions), and Rayman Legends caught my eye, but not enough for the top 5. The RPGs I want to highlight are X, Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Pokemon X & Y and Zelda: A Link Between Worlds. Finally, the action games: InFamous: Second Son, Mirror's Edge 2(?), and the Platinum Games Wii U exclusives (Bayonetta 2 and Wonderful 101).

6. Driveclub

Honestly, I wasn't excited for this game until I saw the E3 demo, which confirmed a 3rd-person view; I was under the impression that the game was cockpit/1st person only but now that it's not, I look forward to buying it along with a PS4 in 2014/15.

5. Need for Speed: Rivals

Yet another game I was wary about at first, because the onstage demo was really serious and gritty - not your usual NFS fare and certainly not what I want from an NFS game. However, the screenshots and floor demo have made me think that those dark, stormy races will be a once-in-a-while event, much like previous games *whew*

4. Transistor

The gorgeous art style, wonderful blend of turn-based and real-time RPG combat along with its chilling OST make it my most-anticipated PS4 game.

3. Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Yeah, the trailer that showed off the expansion of DKCR's interactive, dense environments with David Wise's compositional expertise on full display did get me excited, but this Developer Direct got me even more excited, and will be the main reason I get a Wii U this year.

2. Mario Kart 8

Boy oh boy, I never thought the next home console Mario Kart would look better than the next home console 3D Mario game, but that's the reality we live in. When you combine the better elements from 7 (customization, gliding, underwater segments) with Wii (bikes, huge roster) while adding anti-gravity (admittedly, more of an aesthetic change than a mechanical one)

...well, it gives MK8 the potential to be the best Mario Kart yet.

1. Super Smash Bros. for Wii U/3DS

Speaking of being the best entry in its series, SSBU/3DS looks to do the same. It's literally doing everything right: game looks beautiful, new characters have decidedly unique movesets, speed between Melee (too fast) & Brawl (a little slow), and NO TRIPPING.

My gaming future

You know, after the initial disappointment; mainly due to the lack of Star Fox/Metroid/F-Zero, I realized that Nintendo's E3 Direct and overall..."presence" was actually really good and puts them in a good position for this Fall/Holiday. Nintendo showcased their best-selling franchises with most in playable form - Pokemon, 3D Mario, Mario Kart, DK Country and Smash Bros. While also having quirky titles (Pikmin 3, X, Bayonetta 2, The Wonderful 101) highlighted as well. That, along with decent 3rd Party support (Rayman Legends, Watch_Dogs, AC4) and a competitive price point - still $100 cheaper than a PS4 when you consider PS+ (50/year) is required for multiplayer. A good position, but one that could be better: 2 of those best-selling franchises won't arrive until 2014 (Mario Kart and Smash Bros.) and the next-gen consoles' release will get more general fanfare even though Wii U's getting just as many, if not more, games; certainly more exclusives. But it's clear Nintendo thinks 3D Mario and Mario Kart can reinvigorate Wii U sales, and while I think it will to a degree, I don't see a 3DS-sized spike happening.

Before I get to my home console plans, my 3DS is simply getting too many games over the next year. Not only have I not been able to play NSMB2 and Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, but soon Mario & Luigi: Dream Team, Pokemon Y, Yoshi's New Island and even Zelda: A Link Between Worlds will pass me by Now, I will buy/play them eventually, possibly next Spring (when I'm not playing MK8), but I don't plan on getting any of these titles on their release dates.

I hinted at my plans throughout my list (and last night in hyper's blog), but to elaborate: I will be purchasing a Wii U in late September or early October. Perhaps later if I decide to wait for a deal or something. I'll be doing this so I can play New Super Luigi U, Rayman Legends, Wind Waker HD, DKC: Tropical Freeze and 3D World by the end of the year. I'll also be getting NSMBU and Wonderful 101 as well; W101 when it goes down to 30 or 40 bucks. After that, I'll have plenty to play in 2014 on it too - Mario Kart 8, Bayonetta 2, Smash Bros., X and lots of eShop games (Two Brothers, Shovel Knight, Earthbound, etc.). As for the other next-gen consoles, I'll be purchasing a PS4 at some point, most likely in 2014 or 2015. Reason being only 4 games (Transistor, Knack, Driveclub, KH3) are "must-plays" for me and one of them (KH3) probably won't arrive 'til 2015 anyways. Not to mention, the PS4 is likely to be 300 or 350 at that point As for the Xbox One, I might get one used towards the end of the 8th gen so I can play Sunset Overdrive, Titanfall and the Halo saga.

So, what were your favorite games of the show? I told you my plans, how about yours? Tell me in the comments below!